Cheesy Crock-Pot Potatoes and Beans

Crock-Pots or slow cookers have become really popular again, lets face it they are quite a marvelous invention. They offer a very cheap way of cooking and dinner can be ready to eat as soon as you get home from work - no mess no fuss. Now whenever you think of a meal cooked in a slow cooker you tend to think it's all stews and casseroles. But you can actually cook certain foods wrapped in foil which of course means even less washing up as the crock-pot is as clean at the end as it was before any cooking began!

Perfect for bonfire night or great for students these cheesy beany potatoes may not look amazing but let me tell you if you this was good! Prepared in just five minutes then left to cook all day long while you're working or maybe you just have something else to do other than stand over a cooker.

Lets face it baked beans are really good for you too, high in fibre and virtually fat-free which is probably just as well since these potatoes are loaded with cheese!

So since Crock-Pot are making October #Crocktober a slow cooking campaign, I was asked to make a recipe and was sent this Digital Crock-Pots and a Crock-Pot Food Warmer (a great little gadget that re-heats cooked food while you are in the office) just put the food into the bowl, plug in and 3 hours later your food will be piping hot and ready to eat. Sadly I don't work in the kind of place where you are able to do that but if you do then it's ideal.

I love this Crock-Pot - the digital timer allows you to see how much longer you have till your food is ready and it auto switches to keep warm when it's done. So no need to worry if you're running late.

Crock-Pot UK are supplying one of these rather nice Digital Crock-Pots and a Crock-Pot Food Warmer for my Giveaway. But first here's my recipe for those cheesy beany potatoes.

Yield: 4Author: Jan Bennett

Cheesy Beany Crock-Pot Potatoes

Crock-Pots or slow cookers have become really popular again; they offer a very cheap way of cooking and dinner can be ready to eat as soon as you get home from work.

ingredients:

1kg new potatoes (I used Charlotte) cut into bite sized pieces

sea salt and black pepper

1 x 400g can Baked Beans

200g of Extra Matured Cheddar - grated

200g Red Leicester - grated

a sprinkling of Cayenne or Chilli powder

instructions

Lay two big sheets of good quality kitchen foil to form a cross. Line the crock-pot with the foil - it needs to be big enough to be able to pull the sides up and to cover the potatoes.

Throw in the potatoes and season with sea salt and black pepper. Now pour over the baked beans and stir very carefully taking care not to tear the foil.

Add half of the cheese (saving the rest till later) and sprinkle a little cayenne or chilli powder.

Pull the foil over to loosely cover the food. Pop the lid on and switch on the Crock-Pot. Cook for 8 hours on LOW add the rest of the cheese towards the end of cooking - say 10-15 minutes before just giving it enough time to melt and then serve.

This has made me realise I should get a crockpot for my daughter at uni. She is catered for during the week (a first year) but they fend for themselves at weekends. Must investigate. And this meal is absolutely just the kind of thing she and her flatmates would enjoy. Not entering your contest (already have one) but what a marvellous giveaway. Good luck everyone!

Hi and welcome I'm Jan. I love cooking and of course eating. It has to be said I do like a nice kitchen gadget or fifty. I'm concerned I might be a bit of a gadget hoarder and also a food shopaholic. Click on my photo to read more!